Hello everyone!

My opinions and comments expressed here are exclusively my own and do not represent the owners, publishers or staff of the Carbon County Comet Newspaper. Their gift of this column space is a privilege.

You are invited and encouraged to respond to my comments.  Call or text, Henry Nicolle, 307-321-4505 or email admin@smalltownopinion.com!

Your comments and opinions are important!  Let’s Talk! 

When Heaven Finally Shares

The cowboys and ranch hands stood

On the porch that day, 

Their coffee had gone cold. 

No one spoke much of yesterday, 

For the dust had all grown old.

The hay fields bowed their thirsty heads,

The creek forgot it’s song. 

The cattle searched for greener hope,

But hope seemed so far gone. 

Then somewhere high above the peaks,

As a kid, I never went to a fair.

While living in Houston, Texas, I got to go to a few rodeos.

I came into contact with husbandry because my father took us to family reunions in the small agricultural town he was raised in Virginia. I learned to milk cows, gather eggs and learned a few things about farm animals.

But I was a kid from the suburbs and I couldn’t wait to get back to my friends and the life I knew.

Let's Talk

By Henry Nicolle

Something to Chew On

By Virginia Parker

Every generation is convinced the world has become more dangerous than it was when they were children. Maybe kids just need to be taught to be aware of things, not afraid. 

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

I had a terrific experience interviewing a candidate that is running for Senate in the great state of Wyoming.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

It looks a bit bleak for the Carbon County residents who oppose the Seminoe Pumped-water Storage Hydroelectric Project, as it cleared hurdles when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its environmental impact statement, basically saying the project was not a danger if done correctly.

Something to Chew On

Virginia Parker

Yesterday I watched a rancher backing a horse trailer into a parking spot while two dogs sat on the flatbed of his pickup. They weren’t barking. They weren’t pacing. They weren’t hanging over the side trying to catch flies. They simply watched, you know the look. 

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

My father was an avid gardener.

I always attributed this to his upbringing as a dairy farmer’s son.

His family had 200 acres and since my grandfather died of an infection from a corn splinter, I know they grew corn.

For five or six months, I have been writing essays complimentary of our small town virtues and unique qualities. I ask for conversations in every essay. I offer my telephone and email contact information, but crickets dominate my response channels. So, this issue of Let’s Talk will be more of the same, but different, in the hope that someone, anyone, will be inspired to respond.

There are some things you expect to find in Wyoming. It’s a given you will encounter antelope, sagebrush, and wind. Bananas however, do not leap to mind. After all, bananas come from tropical places where people wear flip-flops year around and shiver when the temperature drops below 70 degrees. Yet, somehow grocery stores, even in the tiniest villages in Wyoming, will have bananas.

About 18 months ago, I attended a February meeting of the Carbon County Commissioners where the Carbon County Semiquincentennial Committee, also known as the 250 Year Committee, was established. I remember Candy Moulton and Tim Niklas being there, putting forth their ideas and mentioning names who would be on the committee.

Sue Jones was the liaison for the Carbon County Commissioners.

Little did I realize what an amazing feat this group would accomplish.

Let's Talk

Henry Nicolle

Hello everyone,

If or when you read these thoughts, please remember these are my own opinions. 

Something to Chew On

Virginia Parker

It’s easy to get caught up in stories about what’s wrong in the world. Turn on the television, scroll through social media, and you’d think kindness had packed its bags and moved somewhere else. But kindness is just an arm’s length away here in the valley we call home. 

I went to a show in Sinclair that featured a Japanese family on drums and flute that was quite simply fantastic.

I have seen a lot of Asian cultural events while living overseas, but this event was one of the best I have ever witnessed in person.

I went backstage and talked to the performers and it came up that I have been to Japan a few times.

It is funny, my first exposure to Japanese culture was in Hawaii.